


Reflection in a Puddle

by guava



Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Dan's yandere feelings, Episode Tag, M/M, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 10:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9118990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guava/pseuds/guava
Summary: After the rain, Taiga confronts Kuroto for the death of Kujou Kiriya. Taiga wants Kuroto to explain himself, whereas Kuroto is fixated on explaining Taiga to himself.Set shortly after Episode 12.





	

"You wanted to save him, didn't you?" 

Dan Kuroto didn't have an excuse for killing Kujou Kiriya. He said nothing more about his genius or the creation of his so-called ultimate game, just his guess on how Taiga felt about Kujou's death. Not that Taiga expected him to explain himself, even after he had chased Kuroto through the rain. 

"I felt no such thing," Taiga insisted. 

"You wanted to save me too, when I revealed myself as Genm," Kuroto continued. "When I saw it in your eyes, I had no regrets about dying." 

Who was he kidding? What Taiga felt back then was the very opposite; he wanted to _kill_ Dan Kuroto. For everything. Taiga clenched his fists, barely restraining his fatal impulse to fight Kuroto while untransformed, when he found himself ensnared in Kuroto's embrace. Kuroto held his body tight against Taiga's, leaving Taiga no room to retaliate despite his efforts to shake himself free.

"Don't fight me," Kuroto warned, speaking close to Taiga's ear. "You'll die too." 

"Kill me, you asshole!" Taiga dared him to. "Kill me now!" 

"It'll be a waste, now that you finally want to save lives. Like a real doctor." 

Taiga couldn't stop him as Kuroto rested his hand on the back of Taiga's head to cradle it against his shoulder, as if they were really hugging. 

"You wouldn't let Kujou die if you could. You wouldn't kill me, even if you can," Kuroto said. "Do you feel the stirring of goodness in your heart, Taiga? It wasn't a mistake to have met me." 

"Yes, it is." 

Kuroto hugged him even closer and promised, "I won't go easy on you, Dr. Hanaya. I'm going to be the best and worst thing to ever happen to you."

With a knee to the stomach, Taiga was released from Kuroto's embrace. He couldn't do anything but double over in pain as Kuroto walked away. He wasn't intending to chase after Kuroto again anyway, and saved his strength for keeping himself from hitting the ground face-first. 

Was Taiga supposed to thank Kuroto for that? He wasn't about to be fooled into thinking that Kuroto considered him as more than a test subject, and that Taiga's sufferings were more than a footnote in Kuroto's grand scheme. Whatever Kuroto had in store for him, Taiga was dead set on turning all of Kuroto's joy into suffering. He would get in Kuroto's way, though he was far from knowing where it would lead. 


End file.
